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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24573265">you've always been sweet on me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkward Flirting, Carnival, Developing Relationship, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Friends to Lovers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:15:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,706</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24573265</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally asks Zatanna out on a date. It's a strange feeling, to blossom and witness sparks between old friends.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Wally West/Zatanna Zatara, background Dick/Artemis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>you've always been sweet on me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Wally, she’s trouble and you know that, right?” Dick says, craning his neck out from the sofa, making a point to look Wally dead in the eye across the room.</p><p>“Dude, <em>I know</em>. Remember I was the one who hauled your ass out of your sad little make up sessions? And just to reiterate, it’s not too late to tell me that you actually hate this whole thing and that you’re secretly plotting to kill me over this.”</p><p>Wally loves burying himself underneath ten inches of humor when it suits him. He’s also pretty sure Dick is messing with him over the whole ‘going on a date with your best friend’s ex’ thing. But it's better to be safe than sorry.</p><p>“We’ve been over this. Totally <em>traught</em>, Walls. Trust me, it’s not me you should be worrying about.”</p><p>“Uh-uh,” Wally replies, eyeing up his friend suspiciously. It’s not like Dick to be spouting faux expressions of concern, especially over matters of love and romance—Wally’s pretty sure he takes joy in watching him crash and burn.</p><p>His date is in three minutes at a carnival across town. He zips to the bathroom to check his hair, button-up red linen shirt for the summer, black jeans and sneakers. Maybe the white shorts would look better? He tries it on and decides—nah, too yacht-party-douchebag for his liking.</p><p>“You’re going to be late,” Dick sings from the living room.</p><p>“Speedster, remember?” Wally replies, fiddling with his watch, adjusting the straps, before deciding against wearing it altogether.</p><p>“Never stopped you from being late,” Dick laughs. “Artemis told me about that spring term dance during junior year—really, Walls, <em>two</em> hours?”</p><p>Low blow. But he’ll take it. He doesn’t have much standing to fight back on this now. He’s going on a date with Dick’s ex—while Dick’s been going out with his for the past couple of months. Fair game was over a long time ago.</p><p>He runs back to the living room to find Dick still splayed out on the sofa, now turning his attention towards the television as he starts up Mortal Kombat again. At the ripe old age of 22, it’s surprising when Wally sees glimpses of that weird, teenage boy who spent too much time turning dictionaries upside down and hid too many secrets behind the mask.</p><p>Wally forgets that he’s been standing there for an entire minute, until Dick snaps him out of it—with a pillow hurling towards his face.</p><p>“You’re definitely going to be late now.”</p><p>It’s exactly seven o’clock. “Oh, shit.”</p><p>He runs out the door so fast he forgets his shoes.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Artemis told me you’d be late,” Zatanna says, folding her arms over her chest. Five minutes wasn’t too bad, in the end, considering he did have to run back for his shoes.</p><p>“Yeah, uh, sorry about that. I kind of got distracted by a certain—”</p><p>“—Dick?” She raises an eyebrow and smiles in a way that’s half-chastising, half-sympathetic.</p><p>“You know the deal,” Wally says, and finally gets a moment to take her all in.</p><p>She’s wearing a little black dress, frayed at the bottom, with tiny thin straps on her shoulders and a glittery shimmer to it that seems to move like stars in the night sky. Soft cherry lips and her signature sharp winged liner.</p><p>They’re standing in front of the carnival entrance. Zatanna managed to snag free tickets for the two of them. Family names carry a lot of weight in these circles.</p><p>“It’s still weird seeing you out of your costume sometimes,” he blurts out. Really? That was the best his brain could think of?</p><p>Zatanna steps forward, smiling as he drops her gaze to the ground. “I know it looks more theatrical than occupational, but I like having fun with it, you know? It's nice to switch things up every once in a while, though. Speaking of costumes, I kinda miss seeing you in tights.”</p><p>His heart is pounding faster than it ever has in <em>years. </em>God, get it together, Wally. What’s wrong with him right now? They know each other. They’ve known each other for the better part of a decade. And they’re friends.</p><p>Well, they’re on the threshold of something more, but they may never get there if he can’t hold himself together.</p><p>“Wally, are you okay? If you’re having second thoughts—”</p><p>“No! I mean, it’s nothing like that,” Wally replies. Zatanna’s smiling in that confused way she does when she knows a spell has gone wrong but can’t quite tell how.</p><p>Her fingers climb up his shirt, breeze blowing through the thin linen, as she pokes the button right underneath his collar.</p><p>“Kiss me,” she says.</p><p>“Now?”</p><p>She nods. “You’re nervous. I get it. So why don’t you…” Wally’s chest tightens as she pinches his collar in between her fingers, “kiss me?”</p><p>He gently cups the back of her head. Eyes closed, he feels his lips meeting hers, warm and soft, with the slick taste of strawberries.</p><p>Zatanna kisses like they’re in a dream. After all, that was how it started between the two of them.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Wally was starting his graduate degree in particle physics at Stanford. Dick was busy running non-stop missions for the new teams. Same with Conner and M’gann. Artemis was off the grid for the most part as Tigress, and whenever she wasn’t, she was with Dick. Even Bart was busy—the whole Flash family was running from coast to coast on missions while Wally had his nose buried in books most days.</p><p>It was Zatanna who reached out first. He felt almost guilty when she did, since he hadn’t thought to do the same in years.</p><p>He suggested that she visit sometime over text, and in ten minutes, she appeared in his living room, top hat and all.</p><p>Afternoon catch-up sessions turned into evenings, and then sleepovers with Zatanna in his bed. Neither of them asked the other <em>why</em>, after all, Zatanna could teleport herself to wherever she wanted.</p><p>Surprisingly, nothing happened during those nights.</p><p>It wasn’t until the anniversary of Giovanni’s death came along, and Zatanna had no one around to talk to, that it was Wally who ran across the country to see her.</p><p>And still, it took until the next morning, after a night of her tears staining his shirt, for Wally to finally realize that there was something there.</p><p>He stood on Zatanna’s doorstep for ages before leaving, talking his head off to her about all sorts of things she probably wasn’t even listening to.</p><p>“And it’s like, so weird the way the speedforce still talks to me sometimes. I don’t think I can ever explain it to Bart. Barry tries, as best as he can, but—oh, hold on, your bowtie’s crooked,” Wally said, adjusting it on Zatanna’s collar.</p><p>She had a meeting with the League at the Watchtower that day. He tried to convince her to skip on it altogether, but she was determined to go.</p><p>“There, much better.” When he looked up, he didn’t expect to be confronted by her blue eyes up close. He couldn’t help himself then. “I’m gonna miss you, beautiful.”</p><p>“Wally—” Zatanna started, and he can’t exactly remember which one of them cut her off, because the next thing he knew, they were kissing until he nearly slipped from the staircase.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Dick was right about one thing—she was trouble. He never really knew what drove the two of them apart. Both of them cited ‘commitment issues’ over the other. Wally was never one to pry, really. He respected them both, and they get along fine now as friends, anyway.</p><p>But still, trouble: Zatanna’s been chased out of three stalls now after using magic to help swarms of little kids win toys.</p><p>They’re both laughing as Wally carries her in his arms and zips her into a carriage of a Ferris wheel, much to the confusion of the teenage couple in the queue. It starts moving slowly.</p><p>“Do you always cheat at everything?”</p><p>She brushes him off, “They rig those games so much. I simply tipped the scales a little bit. Besides, I remember being that sad little girl who never won anything at these fairs.”</p><p>“Never tipped the scales for yourself when you were younger?”</p><p>“My dad tried to instill good values in me. I was also a little bit of a slow learner, on the magical front.”</p><p>“Huh, and here I thought you were born pulling rabbits out of your hat.” Wally shuffles over closer to Zatanna. The movement rocks the cabin.</p><p>Zatanna clutches onto Wally’s arm instinctively. It makes him blush; just thinking about the way they’ve never been like this. Sure, he had a crush on her from day one, but <em>everybody </em>did when she walked into the halls of Mount Justice.</p><p>It subsided quickly enough as it became clear that her and Dick were hitting it off. Meanwhile, Wally began to realize that he had feelings for Artemis, as difficult as it was for the two of them to make peace in the beginning.</p><p>“What are you thinking about?” Zatanna asks.</p><p>They’re slowly rising in the Ferris wheel, a blurry sea of lights underneath them.</p><p>“Just about the fact that it’s us—and we’re doing this. We’ve known each other for like, forever. I know, you’ve been resisting my charms for so long and for that, I apologize for making you wait.”</p><p>“Oh, I am so thankful for your mercy,” Zatanna puts a hand over her chest and leans back into the glass. The entire cabin shakes again.</p><p>She huffs as her eyes go white, “<em>Nibac pots gnikahs.</em>”</p><p>And just like that, they’ve been blessed with the most unshakable Ferris wheel cabin in existence.</p><p>“Do you have a favourite?” Wally asks.</p><p>“Favourite what?”</p><p>“Spell. I know I spent a lot of time going on about how much I hated magic back then—” Wally raises a finger up, “—still a little hesitant around it, if I’m being honest. But I think maybe it’s time I embrace it more.”</p><p>“You can trust me,” Zatanna says, a hint of worry in her eyes.</p><p>“I do, Zee.”</p><p>It makes Wally think back to what was the last straw between her and Dick. Looking back, it was probably when Artemis died, or pretended to. Dick never told Zatanna and she never really forgave him for it—even after the countless nights they spent together after that.</p><p>Wally gets it. You’re never the same after an event like that. After being pulled out of the speed force, he thought he couldn’t handle another relationship so soon. He tried to give it another go with Artemis, but they had both grown apart.</p><p>Him and Zatanna, on the other hand—they both felt like two kids stumbling into new lives they can’t quite understand what to do with yet. Left behind by the rest of them, who all grew up too fast.</p><p>“I can think of a few good ones, but I wouldn’t say them right now,” she replies, biting down her lip.</p><p>Well. Wally can’t wait to be on the receiving end of <em>those</em>. Zatanna leans closer to him and he reaches out to touch her, until she brushes past his shoulder to look out the window.</p><p>They’re finally at the top of the wheel.</p><p>It doesn’t happen often for a speedster, but there are some moments that feel like they’re going to escape you in the blink of an eye.</p><p>
  <em>Calm down, Wally. You’ve got all night and with some luck, the next morning, too.</em>
</p><p>He clears his throat and straightens himself out as he follows her lead.</p><p>“Fun view?”</p><p>As she’s bent over, her silver crescent necklace dangles from her bare skin over her low-cut neckline. He tries to keep his eyes on her face.</p><p>She looks at him and smiles, bright as the moon. “The best.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>The night ended faster than the blink of an eye. They went on the teacups, the Haunted House, had their tarot readings done by Madame Xan and spent far too much money on overpriced popcorn.</p><p>Wally challenged Zatanna to pack as many flavours of popcorn as she could in one jumbo-sized bag. It was ‘challenge-accepted’ for the greatest magician he knew, and boy, was she <em>good.</em></p><p>Butterscotch, strawberries and cream, salted caramel, roasted pumpkin, milk chocolate, fizzy orange, bubblegum shake, coconut and berries—</p><p>“You’re seriously the best magician ever,” Wally says, mouth still full with the next flavor explosion that came with his next handful.</p><p>Zatanna reaches in to grab a handful, testing out her concoction as she shoves the popcorn in her mouth.</p><p>“Not bad. Missing a couple of flavours, I’ll try again.”</p><p>She reaches in and her hand meets Wally’s. Both of them pull out instinctively, as Wally crumbles the empty bag in his hand.</p><p>“Sorry. Super metabolism?”</p><p>Zatanna punches him on the shoulder as they both start laughing. The fair starts closing up around them as the crowds walk past them and towards the exit.</p><p>“So… you wanna come over tonight?” Wally says, a blush spreading across his cheeks. “I mean, I didn’t want to assume! You said you wanted to come see the fair with me, but I know you can just teleport back home, or maybe you have a mission—”</p><p>Zatanna awkwardly has her hands folded over her chest. She looks up at him and shakes her head, hair falling over her face as the wind blows from the side.</p><p>“No plans. And if the League needs me, Batman tends to zeta-tube us from wherever we are, anyway.”</p><p>Wally makes a face. “Oh, right, <em>that</em>. Is there a way that, uh, you could maybe cast an anti-zeta spell for the two of us? I don’t really want to end up in the Watchtower in any compromising positions.”</p><p>“Don’t worry, Barry’s covering for me for League duties. So, Wally West—what <em>have</em> you got planned for me tonight?”</p><p>Wally has a few questions, but they’ll have to wait. He doesn’t have time to interrogate how and why his uncle has been scheming with his new maybe-girlfriend.</p><p>“It might be easier if I show you, beautiful.” He picks her up and runs back home, setting her down gently on his bed.</p><p>Her eyes are wide with excitement. “What’s next?”</p><p>Wally starts to unbutton his shirt until he realizes that he needs to check on something. He holds up a finger and runs out of the room for a split second.</p><p>“Sorry, I just had to check that we’re all clear,” he says, suddenly breathless, and not from the running.</p><p>Zatanna’s waiting on the bed, sitting up with her long legs stretched out, hands clutching onto the sheets behind her. Her tiny dress is bunched up around her upper thighs, and Wally’s eyes notes where her black fishnets disappear under them in between her legs.</p><p>“Dick was here, wasn’t he?” she points out.</p><p>Wally climbs on top of her, closing in the gap between them as Zatanna watches his lips moving closer. “Let’s not talk about Dick right now.”</p><p>“Yes, <em>sir</em>.”</p><p>Wally groans as they kiss, “Don’t say that.” It's doing more than a lot of things to him right now.</p><p>He lets his hands hold her back upright as she has her arms around the back of his neck. She opens her legs wider for him as he moves in, lifting her up to pull her up to his lap for a straddle.</p><p>“Got any suggestions then?” Zatanna asks, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>Wally smiles and whispers in her ear, while both his hands work on lowering the thin straps on her shoulders. Her dress drops down to her waist as he runs his fingers over her breasts, vibrating them over her hard nipples.</p><p>He feels her shudder under his hands, as a tiny gasp escapes her mouth. He gently nips at her ear before brushing his lips all across her cheek, hot with anticipation. Her eyes are glazed with a look that spells out <em>yes, yes and yes.</em></p><p>It’s been a while. Wally can’t blame himself for feeling a little proud that he’s still got it, though when it comes to Zatanna, he’s pretty sure that she’s got a couple of tricks up her sleeve, too.</p><p> </p>
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